1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in a general way to the field of motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention is interested in the methods for detecting rain on a vehicle windscreen by processing images, particularly in order to trigger the automatic control of a functionality of the vehicle, particularly that of the windscreen wipers.
Image processing techniques aimed at detecting raindrops on a windscreen are already known: they generally require at least one sensor/at least one camera placed inside the vehicle, focused on the windscreen and dedicated to this application. This is the case for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,978, which details a system for detecting raindrops using two dedicated detectors.
One drawback of these techniques is that they have the express need for the detectors to be dedicated to detecting rain, whereas other functionalities also require sensors, to detect an oncoming vehicle or a roadside edge for example. The tendency is to multiply the number of sensors in the vehicle, which increases their total cost, renders the installation of these various sensors more complex, and tends to encumber the vehicle more, particularly its cab interior.
2. Description of Related Art
The object of the invention is therefore to overcome this drawback by proposing an improved method for detecting rain on a windscreen. It concerns more particularly a method which is at least as reliable as the known methods, but which, in particular, deploys more compact and/or less complex and/or easier means of using or mounting on the vehicle.